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TRP: Larkin and Raef (Message)
Day 393, Skyport Four houses. Three targets. Two hours to collect them all. One chance to get it just right. It was a fucking blast. Larkin hadn't done a job, a real break-in, like this in forever. Raef was here instead of Finch and they were stealing people not jewelry, but Finch had worked out their strategy and stealing was stealing, after all, so it was enough to make Larkin feel like the good old days. With the intel from their watchbirds they knew about all the security measures, the guard rounds, the habits of their target. It'd be a piece of fucking cake. She shifted a little, calves aching from the squat she had assumed while they waited in the shadow of an archway opposite of Inquisitor Santonio's manor. Wouldn't be long now. She gave Raef a little nudge and gestured. Ready? MINK Raef tugged the fabric hanging against his collar up. It tightened over the bridge of his nose, concealing his smile. He flicked back an affirmative. He was more than ready. It was like old times, except it was with someone who gave a damn about him and someone he gave a damn about This time he was working with someone worth their salt. He pointed towards the side of the manor, following a path of shadow that ended just shy of the bushes, indicating the path he was going to follow before signing: okay? JEN Larkin tugged her own mask in place, though if they followed Finch's plan to the letter, they wouldn't even need them. She nodded and waved him on. MINK Raef winked at Larkin before he followed the path he had set out, crouched with swift, easy steps. Light, barely touching the grass. Steps learned over three hundred years. He crouched near the bushes when they reached them and stretched enough to see over them. They were stealing a person that he hoped was asleep. He waited for Larkin to catch up. She'd pick the locks to the window, door, whatever the fuck was part of Finch's plan. JEN Decorative bushes and small trees lined the street side of the manor's property wall, perfect for them to sneak around unseen. At the end of the row they had to pause and make sure there was no one to see them slip down the slope between the wall and the small foot bridge spanning a canal leading up to the manor. Larkin went first, careful not to splash around in the shallow water even though they'd get their boots wet soon enough. MINK Raef followed, careful where he stepped and careful to not fall on his ass. The grass was damp with dew and droplets of water that misted when the water bumped over rocks in the canal. They'd eventually step into it which would do shit for sneaking once on dry land again. Soon enough they were nearer the building. He slipped down into the water, making sure not to splash. He wrinkled his nose; the water was cold. He waited for Larkin before following into the moss covered entrance of the sewer...small, gross, and fucking wet. Disgusting, he signed whether or not Larkin saw it. JEN A couple feet in they met an iron gate. A long, rust and slime covered chain held it closed. It'd make one hell of a noise to open so Larkin got out a can of oil and handed it to Raef so he could work the hinges while she picked the lock and painstakingly removed the chain link by link. MINK Raef oiled each hinge like he really wanted them to work for good - he needed them to work for an hour tops, but he didn't want them making noise. The less people that heard it the better. He glanced towards Larkin once he used it. Ready? JEN She nodded, then gripped the bars with both hands and slowly pushed. The gate moved without a complaint. Larkin grinned at Raef, which he of course could only see by her eyes, and gave him a thumbs-up. It was meant to be congratulatory as well as encouraging; from here on, they'd have to crawl. MINK Raef grinned back. You first. He winked, biting back a chuckle. JEN Larkin gave a mock bow, then got on all fours. Once through the gate the tunnel widened again, but too little to stand upright. Larkin opted for a crawl on her hands and the toes of her feet, hoping it would get her the best trade-off between silence and ease of movement. She didn't look forward to doing this with a body in tow. MINK Raef opened his hand in a gesture of being an absolute perfect gentleman of opening a gate for her despite it being open. Then he dropped to all fours to follow her, moving in a similar position as her. He glanced towards Larkin, enjoying the view just as much as he enjoyed working with her. The tunnel refused to widen enough for them to stand up even as they neared the manhole. They could at least stand up in the small area under it. He moved past Larkin to take the ladder first. The cover was thick and heavy, making him grit his teeth, but he slid it back and peaked out over it. He didn't see anyone in the immediate vicinity. After signing that it was fine, he pushed himself up and out of the sewer. JEN Larkin followed. Together they quickly and quietly moved the cover back into place so it wouldn't give them away, then Larkin led them to the nearest wall. They'd need to stay low now, beneath the windows and out of sight of any personell. Their next stop was the garden door leading into the closed gallery that had stained-glass windows overlooking the yard. Larkin made sure they were unnoticed, then waved Raef on ahead. MINK Raef gave a thumbs up before leading the way, crouching. Quick, short steps kept him in the shadows to the door. He knelt by it to reach up and twisted the door knob. Slowly...slowly...it clicked open. He snorted with amusement them held the door still. He flicked a sign to Larkin to check for anything before he opened it. JEN She crouched by the door, checking the threshold, then worked her way up the frame. She came upon a lock and a ward but it wasn't active at this time. Night had fallen but the house hadn't gone to sleep yet. Larkin listened for footsteps inside and when she heard nothing, went in first MINK Raef pulled the door when it was safe to do so. He followed Larkin in, closing the door gently behind them, then moved closer to her. He scanned the room for anyone or anything before pointing down the hall. There should be a place for them to hide down it while waiting for the Inquisitor to get in the tub. JEN A floor board creaked behind them. Larkin turned her head up and in the shadow on top of the stairs at the end of the corridor she saw a girl standing, basket full of towels in hand. Judging by her line of sight she'd just seen Raef cross the hall, but not Larkin already past the foot of the stairs and out of view. MINK Raef froze when the shadow fell down the stairs and he glanced up. Shit. Shit. He pulled out a tendril and cast it at the girl. JEN She gasped, her eyes going even wider, before they closed and she swayed in place. The basket fell out of her hands and she went to her knees, hands over her temples. Larkin turned on her heel and ran up the stairs as fast as she could while staying silent. She grabbed one of the towels, and when she got to the girl, pressed it over her face. They just had to make sure she stayed out for a couple hours. No need to kill, yet... MINK Raef followed Larkin to the girl, raising up a little to watch the room. Place her in a closet, he signed before pulling out a piece of rope. They'd bind her and gag her. Keep her quiet. JEN Larkin shook her head, then signed, canal. Even bound and gagged, when she woke up the girl would be able to bang against the closet doors. MINK Raef nodded in agreement, twisting the rope around the girl's wrists. She out? JEN She'd just stopped wriggling under their combined grip. Larkin waited a couple seconds longer, maybe longer than necessary, then slowly lifted the towel. The girl stayed still. MINK She didn't move. Good. Get her arms. He grabbed her legs in the meantime to lead the way to the door again so they could get to the manhole and drop her down it. JEN Larkin gathered the remaining towels, put them in a basket and hid it beneath a nearby cabinet, then went to help Raef. There were voice to be heard down the hall already. They needed to fucking hurry. MINK The girl wasn't heavy, just awkward, but they got her stowed away in a less than ceremonious fashion. By the time they made it make inside movement could be heard down the hall. Fuck. Raef glanced at Larkin. Ready? he smiled, crouching again to slowly pick his way towards the hall, letting Larkin move towards the front. She was fucking better at seeing them apparently. JEN Larkin nodded. They were off their timing now, and the disappearance of the servant girl must have cause other disturbances they couldn't predict. The important part now was to stay hidden until they could locate Santonio and come up with a new course of action. According to their information, the bathhouse joined the main building just down the hall and to the left. Ahead would be the Inquisitor's daughter's atelier, which should be empty now because it was time for the kid's evening lessons in finance or some crap. They should be able to hide out in there while being able to hear their target enter the baths. Larkin moved through the corridor quickly and quietly, stopped by the mouth of it to peer around the corners, then drew back and held a hand up for Raef. Fist, then one finger extended, motioning off to the right. One guard, right side. Another fist, thumb tucked under her fingers. Back turned. MINK One guard was easy enough with their back turned. The problem was was that their timeline was already fucked with the girl spotting them. He glanced around the corner to get a better pinpoint the guard. He drew back and pointed at the door, flicked the sign for move, then he moved out from the safety of the wall. Quick, fast steps took him into the room to wait for Larkin. JEN She took a second to be sure, then darted over. The guard didn't move from their seat on a small table. Probably waiting for his turn to go eat dinner and play dice with the others. Idiot. Larkin closed the door behind them just as slowly as she had removed the chain on the sewer gate. It didn't even click. Then all they had left to do was stand on either side of the door and wait. MINK Raef grinned under the mask, corners of his eyes crinkling. He gave a thumbs up; it was a good job so far. He stretched his hands over his head. Now it was a waiting game. He glanced around the room, looking for anything that'd be easy to nick. They were stealing a person, but a little extra wouldn't hurt. JEN It didn't take long for the voices and movement they'd heard earlier reach the area outside their hideout. Someone was talking urgently, then calling something--or someone. Larkin hoped they wouldn't start to search the manor before they'd made it out with their target. A serving girl missing would disrupt the inquisitor'schedule but surely it wouldn't be enough to entirely change it. Right? Then there was another voice outside, this one familiar to Larkin who had done her own deal of observation on this guy. The inquisitor sounded annoyed. Not used to having to wait on his towels, Larkin bet. Another exchange followed, then footsteps sounded through the door, moving away and towards the baths, while another set moved the other way more hurriedly. MINK The voices, thankfully, didn't come towards them and the handle on the door didn't jiggle. That was something...and it was also something that it sounded like the inquisitor was on his way to the bath. Raef let out a soft breath before he opened the doors crack to peek through. No one was near the door as far as he can see. He closed it again. Five minutes, he said. Let the inquisitor sink into the water and relax before they removed any obstacles in their way and grabbed their package. JEN Larkin gave a thumbs up. After what had to be only half a minute, a new set of voices and footsteps neared. One male, one female... rather young sounding. Larkin shot Raef a look the moment before they stopped outside the door. "... and this is where I paint." The door handle moved. MINK Raef stepped back closer to the wall, pressing as close to it as he could. Sneak out. The door handle pulled down, thendoor swung open, and the girl stepped in chatting to some guy. They were busy talking, not paying attention, and Raef slipped through the small opening to move down the hall further. There had to be a closet for them to hunker down into. JEN Raef got out quick but Larkin stood on the other side of the door. As the pair walked past she caught the handle and slowly pulled the door open wider to hide herself behind it. "The light in here is just perfect," the inquisitor's daughter explained. "It's the sky light. I can paint in here even on cloudy days." The man said something Larkin didn't pay any attention to. Some senseless attempt at being polite. She had her senses trained in on the moment she could slip out, when they turned their backs to the door. There was a quite rustle and clinking, then light flickered on and the man gave an impressed aahh, which drew a giggle from the girl. "Here, let me show you something," she said in a conspiratorial voice. "But you have to promise not to laugh... " The man assured her he would never and the next thing Larkin heard was the swish of a large cloth being pulled off something. There had been a covered painting sitting in the center of the room, angled at the door. If they were looking at it now, this was her chance. Larkin took it. A quick step and turn brought her out of the corner, and another three steps out of the room. Raef was waiting outside and she gestured to him to move, move, move. MINK He didn't the gesture. As soon as he saw her step out, he moved. Fast. He scanned the wall for a door, any door with an empty room behind it. One was pressed into the left wall. He listened at it before twisting the handle to open it. It was what he was hoping for - what else this close to the baths? There was an opening under the lowest shelf. It'd be a tight fit with them, but they'd make it...and it was better than being caught. You first. He smiled under the cloth again. JEN Larkin considered, took a look around, and signed, get the target now. There was no calculating how long the daughter and her visitor would be occupied in that room, and now that the guard seemed to have left their post, it gave them a window. MINK Raef glanced down the hall. Good. That was better. He closed the closet. Heads or tails? he asked as he led the way to the baths, untying a know that helped secure an additional rope at his hip to make it ready. JEN Tails. Larkin stopped at the door to the baths, listened, then entered into the small ante-room. At the door to the bath proper she knocked and in a shy voice called, "Master Santonio? I bring your towels." There was a second of silence, then splashing and a male voice called back. "Yes, yes. Come in already." Larkin set her hand on the door handle and looked to see if Raef was ready. MINK Raef draped a loop of rope in his hands. He nodded to show he was ready. He was more than ready. When the door opened, he slipped in. Quiet, but not low to the ground. The rope looped easily in his hand before it was thrown. The plan was to get it to loop over the gaping inquisitor's head as it rested back - perfect to choke him until he passed out. JEN The inquisitor got out a "Who the hell-" before the rope drew tight around his throat. His hands shot up to it as he stumbled to his feet. MINK Raef slid down, pulling the rope with his weight until his feet slammed into the tub then he used that for leverage to bring the stumbling man down. He hoped. Fucker was bigger than he thought he'd be. JEN The inquisitor stood, pulling at the rope around his neck just as he clawed at it trying to get it off. He was a big, strong man, probably had been a paladin in his day, but between the slippery surface of the tub and Raef using his leverage, he lost his balance and came down hard. Larkin was on him a moment later, sitting down on his chest, his arms pinned by her knees. The rope cut off his airway enough so he couldn't scream, and after a couple seconds of Larkin squeezing off his carotid, the kicking of his feet stilled, too. MINK The rope slipped a little in his hands, stinging through the gloves, but Raef redoubled his grip until the man lost balance and came tumbling down. He had to still hold tight until the feet stopped kicking. Only then did he loosen his grip, panting hard. " ...fuck..." he breathed out. He pushed himself up to his feet, wincing a little; his ass didn't like him dropping to it. He unwound the rope so he could help with binding him after stuffing a cloth in his mouth. They didn't need Santonio screaming as they dragged him through the sewers...fuck, that was going to be a shit drop. If we put him on a towel, we can drag him. JEN Larkin gave a thumbs up. Good idea. Only... She glanced around, then made a motion as if slapping her forehead. They'd played themselves here. On our way out, she motioned. The basket should still be where she'd hidden it. They would just have to carry him to the exit. MINK Raef gave a thumbs up. He hooked his hands under Santonio's armpits, glanced up at Larkin, arched an eyebrow, and lifted when she did. Shit. He was heavy. Really fuckin' heavy. But they still had to do this. It was only a short trip. Done backwards from his point of view. He winced at the thought, but he moved when Larkin did. It had to be done. JEN "Fucking....fuck," Larkin muttered under her breath. Finch had made a quip about them being too wimpy to move a body anywhere but Larkin had just scoffed. She'd never tell him how right he'd been. The inquisitor's ass dragged on the floor as they carried him, shuffling, making way too much noise already. In the ante-room they set him down to check the hallway for clearance. MINK By the time they made it to the ante-room, Raef was ready to just gut the fuckin' guy and call it a day. Shit. He set the guy to glance down the hallway. He pulled back. He held up one finger to Larkin. Damn guard was back. JEN Larkin nodded. She went to take a peek herself, having something in mind. The guard sat angled towards them playing dice with himself. They wouldn't be able to sneak past even if his back were turned anyway, what with Inquisitor Bare Butt in tow. Instead, Larkin decided they'd make him move. From her point of view she could see another door straight down the hallway, standing slightly ajar. She honed in on it, focused... A scream echoed from down the hallway and the door slammed shut. The guard sprung to his feet so fast he almost knocked the table over, and he had to tug on the hilt of his short sword a couple times before he got it free and ran to do his job. Larkin watched a second to make sure he wasn't coming right back, then pushed open the door fully. Now they were on a timer. MINK Did he love that fucking trick. Raef grinned and winked at Larkin before he hoisted the naked Inquisitor up again. He watched her, waited for her to be ready, and this time the movement wasn't as slow. He was fuckin' tired, but he'd be damned if they were caught before dumping the Inquisitor's large ass down the sewer hole. The door was the hard part, having to wiggle it up one handed and not drop their prize, but it was doable. JEN They had to put him down again at the manhole. It was hidden from view behind a couple bushes on the other side of the yard, but even so, and through her panting, Larkin heard shouts just as she bent to remove the cover. "Fast now," she said and climbed down. They had to lower him down somehow, without him breaking his neck by accident. MINK "I'll lower him as far as I can then drop him...just make sure he doesn't land on his head." If the guy broke a leg, that was fine. Raef watched Larkin climb down before nudging Santonio to the edge of the manhole. Holding onto a lifeless, naked man still damp with water was a lot less thrilling than holding onto a moving, naked man damp with water. He grunted as he lowered him in. "Fuck, goddamn..." JEN Larkin had to stand on her toes to reach him and as Raef slowly pushed him over the edge, it occured to her that she might break her neck. "Hey. Wait," she hissed. "The rope." MINK "You got anymore?" Raef asked, pausing. He only had the two strands. He didn't think he'd be tying two people up that night. JEN Larkin vanished from his view, then returned a few moments later. "She's still out," she told him and threw the rope up. They could make it work. MINK Raef caught the rope. He string around the inquisitor's chest and under his arms then pressed pushed him over the edge of the manhole, while pressing his feet on either side to keep from tumbling in,too. "God, he's fuckin' heavy," he grunted as he let the rope slide through his gloves in slow increments. JEN "No shit," Larkin answered while reaching for the guy's legs to take some of the weight. Together, and probably with Mask helping his little entertainers out a little, they managed to get the inquisitor down without him falling on either Larkin or his head. The serving girl wore an apron made from sturdy fabric and Larkin relieved her of it to roll the inquisitor onto it so they could drag him more easily. Well, one of them would drag him. The other needed to shove. MINK Raef secured the manhole cover before climbing down, winded. Shit. He needed a drink. "Don't fuckin' tell Finch I'm dying," he panted as he stepped towards Santonio's feet. He pulled the mask over his mouth to breathe better. "We'll take turns." JEN "Don't tell him we almost got caught." Take turns they did, but only once because as they realized, it meant crawling over this naked dude each time, with very little air between them. At least the slime underfoot which had hindered their movement on the way in this time around helped ease the pulling of the body. When they neared the exit Larkin scouted ahead, making sure they were only running into their scheduled pick-up, and not any guards. The Redbird was waiting up on the footbridge with a covered donkey cart, just as ordered. Between the three of them, loading up the inquisitor proved to be almost easy. Then they were off while behind them, the Santonio manor stirred to life. MINK The donkey cart was like heaven or somethin' as he sat there, trying not to look like he was internally dying in front of the Redbird. He was going to clean up, get a drink and something to eat, then he was going to help Larkin with the guy. Wanna get something to eat? he flashed at her, settling down as comfortably as he could. JEN Larkin gave him a confused look, then smiled apologetically. "Man, we still got two more." MINK Raef chuckled. "I'm grabbin' a snack before I drag anymore naked men." JEN --- They didn't have to drag anymore naked men, since the other two inquisitors were thankfully clothed when Raef and Larkin bagged them. Their helpful little bird carried their packages to the safe house where they lined them up tied to heavy chairs. When the baby birds tried to slink away after finishing their work, Larkin called them back. They were gonna need witnesses. "Alright," Larkin said. She had a long hunting knife in hand, idly running a thumb over the back, and eyed their catch. One woman, two men, one of them still unconscious. "Who should we start with?" MINK "Santonio," Raef said, pulling out a small bundle of leather ties with a slender strap. He undid it to roll it out on a nearby table. Various knives and tools glinted in the light. He didn't particularly dislike Santonio more than the others; he's just been the most annoying to cart away. "Mmm...how much of an example do you want to make?" JEN Larkin glanced at the Redbirds. Adults, all of them, and raised on the streets, and yet they looked pale already. Larkin wasn't really feelin' it either but they'd set out to do this. She shrugged to Raef, then stepped towards the unconscious man. "Hey." She patted him on the cheek, then slapped him when he didn't react. That at least got his eyes to flutter open and when Larkin set the tip of her blade under his chin, he focused on her, too. "You got a guess why you're here?" MINK Raef ran his fingers over the items, choosing a slender blade with a smooth, fine edge, like a razor. If Larkin didn't give him an answer then it was up to his own devices, and he had been doing this a very long time. Santonio looked like he didn't know where he was, but he focused on Larkin, a sneer flickering over his lips. He opened them - "- better say something nice and true," Raef warned to cut him off. JEN His eyes darted from Larkin to Raef, back to Larkin, and then to the razor blade. He licked his lips. "August, don't," the woman said, drawing Larkin's attention. She patted Santonio's cheek, smiling. "You don't look too smart. Better listen to her. We might just let you go if you tell us what we wanna hear." Santonio looked angry and confused. "Money?" He said. "Is this about money?" MINK Raef twirled the blade lazily, cocked his head. It was easy to slip into old, almost forgotten behaviors in a room like this. "No, no, money's not the issue here," he said, stepping closer to Santonio. He slid his other hand through the man's hair, petting him. "Try again." JEN Larkin stepped aside to give Raef some room to work. The Redbirds in the corner looked on silently, restlessly. Something like uncertainty flickered through Santonio's eyes as he switched between looking at Raef and the knife in his hand. "Why don't you tell me? You are going to anyway, aren't you?" MINK Raef tapped the tip of the blade on Santonio's bare shoulder. "Sure thing." He smiled, leaned down, and his voice dipped to a whisper. "See...you and your friends fucked with someone they shouldn't've." The blade knicked along skin. "My chaver's kid, which makes him my kid..." He smiled thinly. "And you don't fuck with my family." He traced the blade over the ridge of Santonio's shoulder. JEN The inquisitor gasped, clearly trying to suppress his pain but Larkin could practically see the color drain out of him. She chuckled. "Man. I always thought torturers were tough guys." "Whose kid?" The woman asked, sounding genuinely puzzled. They must've snatched themselves a couple more since then. "Jonn Sterling," Larkin said idly. "Ever heard of him?" All three of them stayed silent. MINK "You really fucked with him. That's really bad for your health." Raef turned the blade so it was angled, pressed down, and slid out. A flap of skin fell down to reveal wet, gleaming muscle before blood welled up to cover it. They'd fucked with Hansel's kid, Gwydion's boyfriend...it made this all the easier to fall into bad habits. JEN Santonio squealed, a high pitched sound that hurt Larkin's ears before lapsing into a low whimper. The other two were looking away. Larkin walked over to the other man, Ludolf, gripped him by the jaw and turned his head to his paladin friend. "Doesn't look so pretty from this side of the coin, huh?" "You said..." the woman interjected and Larkin shot her a glare but she swallowed and continue. "You said you'd let us go. What... what do you want?" MINK "Apologize and maybe this'll go quick." Raef moved the blade over. Another flap fell down. JEN "Lord," Ludolf swore through Santonio's screams. He had his head down and eyes squeezed shut. Larkin wondered which one he meant. "Yeah, that asshole's not gonna help you now," she commented. MINK Raef snorted soft laughter. "That wasn't an apology." Two more flaps in quick succession, this time from Santonio's other shoulder. Blood now trickled steadily. JEN "Ah, I... I'm sorry!" Santonio had trouble getting the words out, he was breathing so hard. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" MINK Raef clicked his tongue. "You don't sound sincere." He tapped the blade again. "Tell me who got into his head. Sweeten the deal a little." JEN "Her!" He tried to move an arm to point but he was bound, so he just rocked the chair a little. "Madeleine! It was her!" "Rat!" The woman yelled. "He's just trying to save himself!" MINK Raef glanced towards Larkin before at the woman. He looked back at Santonio. "Was it really her?" He moved his gaze back up to Larkin, to see what she thought on it being Madeline. JEN Santonio nodded fiercely while Madeleine continued to call him a liar. Larkin watched them at it for a moment, then went back to Ludolf. She set the tip of the knife under his chin and forced his head up. "Do you want me to stab this through your mouth?" She asked. He gave the tiniest shake of his head. "Then tell us who it was." In the brief, tense silence that followed Larkin wondered if this was the one with the guts. The one who'd refuse to sell his companions out even though it meant-- "August. It was August." MINK "Oh dear." Raef patted Santonio's head. "Your buddy's smart." He smiled a little. "Want to give 'im a quick death for being good, Larkin?" he asked, referencing Ludolf. Then he stepped around to the front of Santonio and sat on his lap. "You, my little, gross friend, won't be so lucky." JEN Larkin gripped Ludolf's hair, wrenched his head back and cut his throat. MINK Raef could see Ludolf shudder, gurgling and spluttering. It wasn't an example, but, well, there were two more to go. He turned his attention to Santonio. "If you'd just been good, you'd be like him." He smiled and turned the blade to Santonio's cheek. He'd start at the top and work his way down, piece by piece. If he passed out, he'd wake him up again. The blade dipped back in. "Don't wiggle or it'll make a hole," he warned, sweet and warm, like the blood that began to drip. JEN Santonio gave a pitiful whine. Larkin was done wiping her knife on the dead guy's clothes and put it away. Raef had this. She went over to Madeleine and turned her chair around a bit so she could get a better view, then Larkin just stood there, hands on the woman's shoulders, watching Raef, Santonio, and the Redbirds. They didn't look very into it. "Hey," Larkin said and gave them a nod. "Just so you know. Jonn's your lieutenant but you're equally important." Larkin patted Madeleine's cheek. "Ain't nobody gonna fuck with a Redbird and get away." MINK "Mmhmm," Raef agreed. Anyone fucked with Larkin and the rest would have as pleasant a time as Santonio. "You'll personally give that message, August - do you mind if I call you that? - no one gets to fuck with the Redbirds.". Slowly he worked, each piece meticulously removed so it hung, resembling a grotesque, bloodied rose. Eventually he had to get up so he could begin better work on Santonio's shoulders. "Wanna give us any information while we work, Madeline?" he hummed out, glancing out over to the woman as Santonio gave a particularly pain-filled squeal. "Careful, August. Don't want to lose a nipple." JEN One of the baby birds dropped with a thump, the others too enraptured by the bloody spectacle to catch him in time. They knelt and helped him back up instantly, no doubt glad to have something else to focus on. Madeleine, on the other hand, seemed to be a tough nut. She stared at Santonio and Raef, eyes hard, and didn't say a word. Larkin slapped her. "Hey. You're being talked to." MINK Raef shot a look at the Redbird. He got it. The first time he saw it he'd about passed out. "Make sure he's fine." Then he went back to working. He knelt down in front of Santonio, working on his chest. Blood flowed freely and the man was beginning to shake. "You have two options, Madeline. Give information that's useful and you'll be like Ludolf. Don't and..." Raef shrugged. "I have a lot of time to kill." JEN "Fuck you," Madeleine brought out between clenched teeth. Larkin snorted. She probably didn't have anything so she opted for playing tough. MINK Raef smiled. __ "They're good to go," Raef said as he wiped off his blades with a cloth. Santonio had taken the longest between passing out and being woken up. Eventually he died - skinning (or rather opening in this case) - took awhile. Madeline was quicker. Not as quick as Ludolf, but not as long as Santonio. She missed a piece here or there and her head was situated on her lap now. JEN Larkin detached herself from where she'd leaned against the wall to watch and snapped her fingers at the Redbirds. "Let's get going. It's gonna be light out soon. Gotta decorate before... " Together, they loaded the bodies back onto the cart, covered with tarps and hay. Then they were on their roundabout way to Bishop's Square in the city center, in front of the church. Larkin and the smaller Redbird kept on the lookout while she let the bigger guys do the heavy lifting. Once the bodies were nice and strung up all over the fountain statue, Larkin helped them unload the buckets to dump the blood in the fountain pool. They'd had to buy some pig blood on the side but the effect was worth it. MINK Raef watched from the wagon, the bodies strung up like tinsel, blood glistening as if made of fairy lights, and a dark pool below that could swallow you up if you weren't careful. A smile pulled at his lips. People would get the message now. "Let's get back," he said once it was done. He winked. "Maybe relax a little now." End Category:Text Roleplay